Mark O'Connor: Catholic Journalist on Pope announcement

The first ever American Pope's spoken in front of a crowd of tens-of-thousands of faithful at the Vatican. 

69-year-old Robert Prevost will be known as Pope Leo the 14th. 

It comes after white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel shortly after 6pm local time, following the fourth Conclave vote.

Catholic journalist Mark O'Conner is at the Vatican and told Ryan Bridge while the new Pope was born in Chicago, he has experience around the world. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So Marke O'Connor is the Australian Catholic journalist with us
from the Vatican. We have a new Pope, Leo the fourteenth.
He is American, sixty nine years old, born in Chicago,
French Italian roots, thought to be a bridge between the
progressives and the conservatives. Mark joins us now from the Vatican.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Mark, good morning, good morning, yes, or good evening here
almost good evening. Oh, it's a great it's a great evening,
an amazing atmosphere and an amazing choice. I couldn't be happier.
You know. I had an hour with him on April
the fifteenth in Rtingham to Australia's and probably that's not
going to happen now. But you know, he's a man

(00:37):
who is rooted in being with ordinary people. He worked
in Peru as a Greece for fifteen years and then
as a bishop in you know, amongst four people. He's
actually also not only an American, he's also a Peruvian citizen.
He speaks perfect Spanish, he's a linguist, and he was
also the Superior General of the Augustinian Fathers in Rome

(00:59):
for several years. He's an international person and of course
he speaks Perfecttorian as as you might have seen it
on the balconist a few minutes ago. So yeah, and
the first words he said were peace, peace in this
world of Gaza and conflict and the conflict that's this
in Ukraine. And he's going to be the piece. And

(01:20):
he's taken the name Leah the thirteenth, So Leah the
fourteenth deliberately because Leah the thirteenth was the great Pope
of social justice teaching in the church and of reaching
out to marginalized, the first great pope who really took
the side of the working class with his great in
cyclical rerem Navaram. So yeah, I'm excited. I think it's fantastic.
Apart from the fact that, you know, I had a

(01:41):
lovely hour with him. He's a very charming, quiet he's not,
you know, the charismatic figure of Pope Francis. You're never
going to get another Pape Francis. He's quite unique. But
he's just lovely, warm, caring human being who tried, who
is going to try and build bridges, and he's very
much in the spirit of Pope Francis. They've certainly gone
for continuity of continuing the vision and the mission of princis.

(02:02):
We were a little bit worried, some of us that
you know, there were there were voices saying, you know,
let's go back to the past, that the new Pope
Lea of the fourteenth will take us with great joy
and hope into the future. And he's well loved and
well trusted also in the Roman Curia by many many people.
So yeah, I think it's you know, I'm I have

(02:24):
to say, I'm ecstatic. I think, what does it mean
beyond my wildest dreams? Mark, what does it mean? What
does it mean?

Speaker 1 (02:31):
The fact it took it it was only four rounds
quicker than than Francis.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Well, it means it means that they that they came
pretty quickly into the decision that he was the right man.
He was elected more quickly than than Cardinal Ratzinger was elected,
you know, Pope Benedict. You know, it was very, very quick.
We were all surprised. I was in the Vatican Press
office when it happened, you know, and then there was
this enormous roar of the crowd. And then when his

(02:56):
name came through that you know that it was that
it was Robert prevost et cetera. I mean, like it's
just extraordinary. I know I'm standing a little bit at
a little bit emotional at the moment, sorry, but like
it's it is, you know, something that those of us
who really love Pepe Francis were a bit worried that
somebody might appear who might, you know, sort of slow
things down a bit. But this guy, he's moderate, he's calm,

(03:19):
he's you know, he's a person of prayer. But he's
also a person who's quite determined, you know, to continue
the vision of the church reforming itself and reaching out
to the world and to the poor into the suffering.
But you know, it was sonignant, but the very first
words that he said were peaces. He will you know,
in this world at the moment, with your Gaza in
your crome, we desperately need peacemakers and he you know,

(03:43):
you know, he's going to be an authentic, credible voice
that will give hope to many people. I think, Mark
really including a lot of non Catholics.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
I really appreciate your time, and there's nothing wrong with
being a little bit emotional. In fact, I think Pope
Leo was a little bit emotional standing on the balcony
of the Vatican earlier this morning. Thanks very much for
your time. That's Mark O'Connor, Australian Catholic journalists with us.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
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